On Sunday, 4 May, the Zimbabwe U20 Junior Sables closed their season with a thrilling 46-39 victory over the Sharks Academy U20 at Harare Sports Club. The match served as a highly anticipated rematch following their narrow 29-27 loss to the Sharks earlier in the week.
The Sharks came into the fixture confident after a dominant 67-10 win against the Zambezi Steelers on Thursday, but the Junior Sables were determined to finish their season on a high note. The Sharks, playing their third match in just six days, both teams showed tremendous character and resilience in a high-paced encounter.
The Junior Sables struck first, applying early pressure and setting the tone. However, the Sharks responded almost immediately, scoring straight from the restart to take a 7-5 lead. Undeterred, the home side regrouped and found rhythm, crossing the whitewash three more times to take a commanding 28-10 lead into half-time.
In the second half, the Sharks fought back with three unanswered tries of their own, narrowing the gap and putting the Sables under real pressure. But Zimbabwe responded brilliantly, capitalising on a lineout set-piece to score again. The try, despite Sharks’ appeals for a forward pass, was allowed to stand by the referee.
The closing stages saw both teams trading blows in a dramatic end-to-end finish, with the Junior Sables ultimately holding on to secure the seven-point win.
Standout performers for Zimbabwe included Thabani Ndlovu, who impressed with powerful runs and heavy tackles, and Tino Chinyadza, who was precise with the boot. For the Sharks, Cameron Veenstra’s line breaks and Conrad Botha’s fearless leadership stood out.
Head coach Shaun de Souza will take satisfaction from ending the season with a spirited win, despite earlier setbacks, as the team now looks ahead to building for the 2026 season and qualification to go to the Junior World Trophy.
